SWriverstone Posted June 14, 2005 Report Share Posted June 14, 2005 ...we just watched the documentary "Riding Giants" on DVD. Oh my god!!! I was totally blown away. Amazing documentary, and a must-see if you haven't yet. I really thought carving was cool. Ditto with hang gliding, cycling, kayaking, etc. Now, I walk in shame, my tail between my legs, knowing that no matter what I do...no matter what anyone on the planet does...we will never be even remotely as cool as Laird Hamilton. I mean, you name 'em...Lance Armstrong? Tony Hawk? Michael Jordan? Tiger Woods? Even Chris Klug---forget 'em all. They're wuss athletes doing boring sports when compared to Laird Hamilton riding 80-foot waves in French Polynesia! :p <sigh> Oh well...I guess I'll just go back to pretending my sports are cool. Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rikytheripster Posted June 14, 2005 Report Share Posted June 14, 2005 Yep Laird is a bit of a legend, those waves are just sick, as is his appetite- 15 eggs for breakfast! would be interesting to see how he'd take to carving........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Randy S. Posted June 14, 2005 Report Share Posted June 14, 2005 That was a cool video. He is amazing and I bet he'd make a great carver. I'm going surfing in Santa Cruz with some of the Tahoecarvers crew this weekend. I can't wait. We even have our own resident board shaper (Rick Ferguson) and I'm going to get to ride one of his boards. It should be fun. See you at the beach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Brown Posted June 14, 2005 Report Share Posted June 14, 2005 Loved that flick! You can tell the surfers in the theater - they're the ones cringing during the wipeouts. I grew up surfing the east coast of Florida (New Symrna Beach) and did many a face plant into the sand from our tiny waves (common joke was "I can make bigger waves in my bathtub"). I can't image losing it one of those giants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted June 14, 2005 Report Share Posted June 14, 2005 Rent or buy "Step Into Liquid" if you haven't already, Scott. More footage of Laird and his unhinged buddies, plus lots of footage of more traditional stuff. Highly recommended by this land-locked flatlander who only wishes he could learn to surf. Also, "Blue Crush" is a cheesy B-movie but it has some cool surf photography. And hot chicks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sic t 2 Posted June 14, 2005 Report Share Posted June 14, 2005 Just saw the trailer WOW !! I'll have the wife get it for me for Father's day. sic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willywhit Posted June 14, 2005 Report Share Posted June 14, 2005 Scott, Good to see you're back to watching flicks with Holly. I met Laird years ago in Providence at the original Gravity Games. Super nice guy. Chatted about windsurfing and foilboarding.I've got one of his dad's Bear surfboards - a 9'2" single fin big wave gun.IS riding giants the one where his dad, Billy,says " he would've been vaporized on the reef" and someone talks about Laird being on the wagon for months but after that wave, he had a few beers that night ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Hope you get some waves this weekend. Sunday will be the best day. Sorry I'll be out of town. BTW talked to Laird after surfing Sunset Cliffs when he was 16 years old. During our converstion he generally predicted his future to my friend and I. I didn't buy it but it all came true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWriverstone Posted June 15, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Another thought on "Riding Giants"... Laird Hamilton might be the world's greatest surfer...but the greatest surfing personality, bar none, is Greg Noll---that guy's freakin' hilarious! :D And of course you could easily say that Greg Noll is actually the greatest, since he paved the way for everyone who followed---and what an attitude! Laird is a wet rag by comparison. Greg Noll's interview footage is every bit as great as watching Laird conquer nature. Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willywhit Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Scott, have you seen "Lords of Dogtown" ? Peralta is working on a movie about Greg Noll.check out http://www.moviehabit.com/essays/peralta_noll_04.shtml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willywhit Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Plot Outline: A drama loosely based on the life of Greg Noll, the surfer extraordinaire who, upon settling in Hawaii in the early 1950s, helped create the laid-back lifestyle attributed to the sport and its followers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bordy Posted June 16, 2005 Report Share Posted June 16, 2005 During the sundance debut of Riding Giants, Burton did a celeb. demo out of the shop I ride, for the movie crew and cast. I rode with Stacey and Jeff Cole and got to meet a bunch of the crew and cast as well as some big wave friends who had come to promote the movie. We all talked about hardbooting and I made sure every one was in the know about the Bottom turn we make every turn. Both Stacy and Jeff were aware of hardbooting but ,surprised be the innovations in the past decade. One day I was un aware they were coming out to ride for an hour our so and happened to be walking out of the shop with a 195+ SG board as they where grabing gear, as I wondered through the demo area Jeff grabed my board and asked what type of speeds it work at I had just replyed with my chest held high " >50MPH " Jeff reply was steady and full of excitement "Yea that sounds good we just figured out a way to change the suction created around 40mph on our big wave tow in board so now we can start to see speed over 50mph on the tow which means we are soon going to be riding bigger waves in the 70+ foot range" two of Jeffs tag alone cronies echoed yea 70+ in the back ground and i sunk my head and walk my slow asss out the door. I had not seen the movie nor did I know who Jeff was. After watching a copy given to me when they left I sat in aw during Jeffs intro and his pioneering of Maveriks. Now Jeff comes in the shop when he is around to make lines with some of the locals he still rides rental or shop gear that we hook him up with its good gear for a beginner soft boot crap but even better gear for Jeff since it does not turn so well, and well Jeff points every thing straight!!! It was also cool to meet Stacey again I had bought my first skate board from him at his P&P shop on State street in Santa Barbara when I was 10 I also saw one of my first snowboards on the wall (it was 1982) I told him all about the snowboards we built as kids at home and how some day we would make our own that where better. He told me I could do what every I wanted on a skate or snow board and some thing along the lines of "the best riding is the kind that makes you happy with friends" funny how the last 22 years since then I have been doing just that. After seeing Zboys I understand where Stacey was coming from..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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